1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a regulating apparatus, and especially relates to a regulating apparatus with soft-start and fast-shutdown function.
2. Description of Prior Art
A regulator is designed to automatically maintain a constant voltage level. A regulator may be a simple feed-forward design or may include negative feedback control loops. A regulator may use an electromechanical mechanism or electronic components. Depending on the design, a regulator may be used to regulate one or more AC or DC voltages.
Regulators are found in devices such as power supplies where they stabilize the DC voltages used by the processor and other elements. In automobile alternators and central power station generator plants, regulators control the output of the plant. In an electric power distribution system, regulators may be installed at a substation or along distribution lines so that all customers receive steady voltage independent of how much power is drawn from the line.
The purpose of soft-start function is to avoid electromagnetic interference caused by inrush current when the electronic device is started. However, the disadvantage of the conventional regulator is that the conventional regulator does not have both soft-start function (when power is on) and fast-shutdown function (when power is off).